Hopefully an easy question.

The factory steering wheels are well known for cracking, so is the plastic of the wheel structural in anyway or is there a metal frame on the inside?

The inside of the hub looks like there is some structure going from the splines out through the spokes

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Yeah there's a frame in there, welded steel rod.

Tim

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1951 Morris Commercial J Type Van
1955 BSA C11G
1961 Morris Mini Traveller
1969 Triumph TR6R
1977 Leyland Moke Californian

Yes, where the screw goes through the bottom of the steering wheel there is a dye cast extension of the splined part of the hub, & it needs to be there for the Centre push horn to work. The black/brown coloured bakelite/plastic/gumbo (whatever) part of the steering wheel is so thin at that spot that it invariably cracks, but the wheel is still structurally OK.
I've just been through this exercise myself in having three steering wheels repaired.

They are easy to repair most people use soft body filler in the cracks. Sand then use 2 pack primer and 2 pack gloss black.
I use black polyurethane in the cracks ,I open the crack slightly. the wheel is in a protected jaw vise and a bit of pressure will open the crack, apply the polyurethane let the gap close. When the poly is dry remove excess with a blade and light sand then paint using 2 pack materials. Body filler will crack after a short time. I just fixed a BMC SW yesterday .You can also use Sika Products. Urethanes will expand and contract.

Below is a subset of the Kimberley/Tasman wheel engineering drawing, although the construction method is similar for the Mini wheels. You can see the material originally used to finish the surface.

Interesting to note that cracking of the rim is allowed in the test procedure but not splintering or shattering.

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ex-NSW Police 1970 MK II Cooper S
VMCI #43

Thanks to everyone for the help!

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Poke a small drill bit in the two holes on the back. They line up with the pins

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